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1989 TA GTA Convertible Production numbers???????

 
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iluvdemcars



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 1:44 pm    Post subject: 1989 TA GTA Convertible Production numbers??????? Reply with quote

Can anybody help me verify how many 1989 GTA convertibles we made?

These were an ASC conversion.

Not sure if it was only 50 or 367 (369 - 2 Pace Cars), or something alse.

Supposedly, no other models except the GTA were converted. And, 1989 was the only year the rag top conversion was offered.

Also wonder what sticker price was for one.

See below, taken from http://www.gtasourcepage.com/modelfeatures.html

The exact number of GTAs built remains a mystery, but there were only 369 Firebird convertibles built that year and only 50 examples had the 5.7L TPI engine, which was standard in the GTA. No official production data has been verified by ASC but, still, the 1989 GTA convertibles remain some of the rarest examples built during the GTA's five-year run. The only 1989 model GTA convertible that can be verified as far as the number actually produced was the 1989 20th Anniversary Indianapolis Pace Car edition, which was also converted by ASC. There were but two examples converted for 1989.............

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John

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Larry
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 3:22 pm    Post subject: GTA Figures Reply with quote

According to John Gunnell's book "Standard Catalog of Firebird" there were 11,214 '89 T-A GTA series cars built.

The only mention of convertibles John makes is to the two 20th Anniversary convertible Turbo Pace Cars built by PAS, Inc., who built all the pace cars. They utilized Camaro parts for them. See photo below.

I'm not sure if PAS did the top conversion or sent them out to ASC. One reference on the internet states that there were actually three of these GTA convertible Pace Cars built with the president of PAS grabbing one up. Perhaps it is the two that were left that are generally refered to as existing.

Check this GTA convertible on You Tube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENoSpU9weSE

And another at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZP2v0xw8_w&feature=related

The first one says only 32 made and the second says 139 made. These figures get pretty muddy after a while.

One forum that seems to have an answer claimed to be from ASC records is pretty convincing . It states Firebird convertible production from 1987 through 1989 as:

1987 - 173
1988 - 104
1989 - see below

38 - LB8 Firebird
58 - LO3 Firebird or Formula
16 - LB9 Formula - 16
42 - L98 Formula - 42
4 - LO3 Trans Am - 4
10 - LB9 Trans Am or GTA - 10
139 - L98 Tran Sm or GTA
2 - LC0 Turbo Trans Am (TTA)
15 - Unknown
324 Total (330 reported by ASC)

The person posting the info further states:

"The information comes from ASC, I have a copy of the dealer order logs and according to the logs there was 324 Firebird convertibles made. Unfortunately ASC has a record of 330 made. There has been one more car added to the list that was not on the dealer order logs, so I have 325 of the 330. It is by far the best information available for an aftermarket conversion."

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Last edited by Larry on Tue Oct 25, 2011 9:13 am; edited 1 time in total
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iluvdemcars



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:14 pm    Post subject: 1989 TA GTA Convertible Production numbers??????? Reply with quote

WOW!!!!!

Thank you for the speedy reply.... All I have to do now is figure out whether it is a LB9 or an L98.

Would anyone know how to do that?

Thanks again!

John

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iluvdemcars



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PostPosted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:20 pm    Post subject: 1989 TA GTA Convertible Production numbers??????? Reply with quote

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.....

Just answered my own question:

L98s are automatics

LB9s are manual trans....

Thanks again!

John

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PostPosted: Thu Jun 12, 2014 6:58 pm    Post subject: 91 trans am conv Reply with quote

Did Pontiac send these for conversion or did the owners... cause what I understand is 'Pontiac'sent the 91 for conversion and sold them on the lot as a convertible, 1500 were made and 82 for of them went off to the Canadian market.
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Larry
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2014 9:16 am    Post subject: Convertible Conversions Reply with quote

Good question. However, I would really doubt that owners sent their cars out. ASC worked closely with GM, so I would suspect there were deals in place. Also, I would wonder how any new owner, other than the most savvy, would even know anything about the process of sending their car out for such work, and to who (or is that whom?). Added to the fact that most anyone who buys a car wouldn't want to turn around and send it away for a lengthy process... they want to get in and start enjoying them.

I guess only an original order form or specialty brochure might answer the question for positive.

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jlbrds89



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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 4:06 pm    Post subject: 1989 Pontiac GTA Convertible Reply with quote

I am the original owner of the 1989 GTA/ ASC #55 (xxx220124) and am one of the few, if only ones who pulled off an order directly from ASC. I had to buy the car in L.A. and enter a drop ship code on the factory order sheet for delivery to Michigan at the ASC plant (special code) where they did the conversion and then shipped it to the dealer I ordered it from.

This was the only way an order could be done, which was in most cases the dealer and not the customer, ordering the car and specifying the drop ship to ASC.

I had to pay ASC something like $5,000 for the conversion. Maybe more, its been 25 years. I have all the documents though. I wrote the check directly to ASC in addition to the cash payment to the dealer.

The GTA resource website has the record of the shipment to my company, although it was delivered to the local Pontiac agency.

When that car arrived, the owner of the dealership (who didn't know about it) flipped out and was heard screaming "I want that car."

My car is quite rare in that it has the factory CD Radio which did not include the radio controls on the steering wheel.

It has been a very good car, and is of course in pristine condition having some 88,000 miles.

I always loved Pontiacs![/list]

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Larry
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PostPosted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 9:14 pm    Post subject: 1989 GTA Convertible Reply with quote

Thanks for the personal experience information on these cars. The trail (history of) these cars was never good, and as time passes it gets even colder.

Congratulations on having such a neat original owner car. That is rare indeed. If you would like, we would love to do a Feature Article in our on-Line Magazine on you and your car. Some good photos and story and we will do the rest. Everyone would love to see your car and learn from the rare documentation and information that you have.

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